Summary: This message is to be preached April 27,2014

To each of you that are saved here today, you are here today because God has called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. You are here because God has reached way down and picked you up. God reached beyond your dirty deeds. God reached beyond your habits, hurts, hang ups and heartaches. You are here because one day you cried out to God and God heard and answered your cry.

So you have come into this house to offer Him just a little thanks, just a little praise for all that He has done, all He is doing and for all that He will do. However, I have a question, have you ever asked yourself why did God chose to save you? I mean out of all the people in this world some better looking then you, some with more faith then you and some in better shape then you. Yet out of all the people you know, God in His grace has called you into His kingdom. Did you ever ask yourself why me Lord?

God answers that age-old question in His word. God says I saved us not just for us, but so that you may be a witness, a living testimony, a holy epistle read of all men. God said I saved you that you might be a city sat on a hill. I saved you that you might be the salt of the earth, the light of the world. He saved you and you and you because there is a serious need for laborers in the vineyard of the world. Jesus said as much in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is truly plenteous, but the laborers are few.”

God said I have placed my light down on the inside of each of you not to hide it, but to hold it up high so that all men may see it and desire to come to Me. God said I saved you that you might lift up the name of Jesus. God said have you not read John 12:32, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto to.” I will draw the drunk, the drug addict, the prostitute.

I will draw that one you live with, the one you sleep with, the one you work with even the one you can’t stand. God said are you letting your light shine are you lifting up the name of Jesus, are you salty enough where your family, friends and foes want to come and taste of my goodness? God said if you can say yes then I have a question for you, where is your brother?

I hear some of you saying, “I don’t have a brother so this word is not for me.” I’m an only child or all I have are sisters. Maybe you are thinking like the lawyer in Luke 10, this lawyer asked Jesus what must he do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him “You must love the Lord with all your soul, and all your strength, and with all your mind, then love your neighbor as yourself.” Well, being a lawyer he looked for a loophole or a way out in that statement, so he said to Jesus who’s my neighbor. Jesus went on to tell him the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Now God didn’t give me a parable about who our brother is, but just in case you are looking for a loophole, a way out, God did give me a definition. Brother, (ad-el-fos) in the Greek means brother born of the same two parents of the same mother or father whether you grew up in the same house or not. That didn’t fit you hu? Brother (Ad-el-fos) in the Greek means having the same ancestors, belonging to the same race whether you are short or tall, big or small, you are still brothers. Not you hu? Brother (ad-el-fos) in the Greek means a fellow countryman which includes your co-worker, the mail man, the cashier at the grocery store, the man that works on your car, the one that does your sew in regardless of race, color, sex or creed.